“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Our children are watching us. They are coming behind us and observing all that we do. So, how do we make sure that as they watch us, they are raised in the light of God’s Word to be godly citizens in this life and ready for eternity beyond this earth?
I prayed for each of our six children. Hannah prayed for hers. I Samuel 1:27-28 says, “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.” Hannah honored Him by giving Samuel back to the Lord. God doesn’t ask us to bring our children to the temple these days but we can give them to God to have Him use them in the ministry or wherever they go in life.
Happy the home when God is there,
And love fills every breast;
When one their wish, and one their prayer,
And one their heav’nly rest.
Teaching starts from day one. Life is all about training the children, constantly, from birth to teen years and beyond. In Proverbs 22:6 we learn this, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Teaching them in the Lord will bring them great peace. “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13)
Happy the home where Jesus’ name
Is sweet to every ear;
Where children early speak His fame,
And parents hold Him dear.
Acknowledgement goes a long way when our children do things that are well pleasing in His sight. It is so important that we praise our children and bless them. As they grow in the Lord and in their life, we will begin to reap the benefits of that praise and teaching. Soon their testimony will come floating back to us from others and we can give the glory to God. 3 John 1:4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Happy the home where prayer is heard,
And praise each day does rise;
Where parents love the sacred Word
And all its wisdom prize.
Of course, none of these aids work to bring them to Christ or raise them to be godly example if we tell them, “do as I say not as I do.” We need to be the example to them. I Timothy 5:8 says, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
How can we lead them? Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” This means all the time. We need to be very conscience of our actions, our words, our lives and how they come across to our children. They are watching us, what do they see?
Lord, let us in our homes agree
This blessèd peace to gain;
Unite our hearts in love to Thee,
And love to all will reign.
SINGING THROUGH EXAMPLE